Soil fertility: Enugu govt. distributes lime to farmers avert poor yield


Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has distributed 20, 000 bags of lime to farmers to check the acidic content of soil across the state.

The primary reason to apply agricultural lime is to correct the high levels of acidity in the soil.

Acid soils reduces plant growth by inhibiting the intake of major plant nutrients -nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

The Commissioner for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, on Thursday said that this was part of decision taken at the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

Cue in audio 1 (Udeuhele)

“The governor of Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuani distributed 20,000 bags of agricultural lime to small farmers in Enugu State at no cost then to all the local government areas in Enugu State on pro bono basis to reduce the acidic content of the soil.

“Many soils in Enugu state have been overused and the acidic content is high thereby reducing the fertility of the soil.

“So when lime is used it will help to reduce the acidic content and bring it down to normal level.

“So having done this on pro bono basis the exco then approved that Enugu State government should queue up with the programme mapped out for the distribution of fertilizers to farmers and then urged farmers to register to increase the numbers of farmers we have in Enugu State,” he said.

Cue out audio 1 (Udeuhele)

The commissioner said that the council also approved that the state government drew down its unused facility for commercial agriculture in the state amounting to $10. 532 million.

He said that the state would collaborate with the World Bank office in Abuja towards accessing the sum being under-disbursed facility with Commercial Agricultural Development Project (CADP) which is due to expire by June.

“This CADP commenced in Enugu State in July 2009 and that project has a total envelop of $25, 320,796 and the total disbursement till date is only $14, 770, 444 which is just 58 per cent,” he said.


Udeuhele said that the state government could not continue with the programme due to failure to remit its outstanding counterpart fund of N532 million, adding that they were now ready to pay.

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